Many thanks for this week’s Bids, Grants and Funds from EEVT Ltd (EEVT) and with thanks to SLIC International Ltd. This week’s bids attachment has some 57 pages including further SFA tender opportunities, details on the Asian Apprentices Awards categories and a new registration EOI from National Training & Skills Ltd. We go out to over 4,000 organisations and decision makers welcome to 11 new readers this week. So to get your copy e-mail steve@eevt.org.

Ok prior to getting into this week additional is an EOI which will form part of the National Skills & Training Ltd supply chain. Why and how and what is this? It is a register of Training companies that are able to deliver the Apprentice training under the Levy. You can find this at www.eevt.org under the News section. Please note send to the e-mail noted we have two groups of employers looking to use this Nationally by this we mean Scotland, Wales and England.

What are the benefits of volunteering in prisons? Where there are current examples of good practice, and where are there gaps? What are the key supports and barriers to effective volunteer involvement in prisons? Clinks and the Ministry of Justice invite you to attend the launch of Clinks’ report ‘Valuing volunteers in prison: a review of volunteer involvement’, which explore how we can increase volunteering in prisons across England and Wales. The report will be launched by Andrew Selous, the Minister for Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation, and we are inviting representatives from across government, prisons, Community Rehabilitation Companies, and the voluntary sector. For bookings please email events@clinks.org

Get Set are an end to end employability provider established in 2009. We have supported over 2000 people into employment from the most disadvantaged cohorts including lone parent, BAME, people with a disability and ex-offenders. We currently place approximately 400 people into work a year. We would like to hear from lead organisations that are tendering for the LC Poverty Pilot bid. Get Set has offices and strong partnership links in Lambeth and Southwark for delivery and would like to hear from organisations needing a partner in these locations. We also have exclusive access to many child friendly roles for lone parents, a key priority group within the project. One of our recent projects ‘Into Work’ funded by Central London Forward, saw 48% of the people we supported into employment from the lone parents priority group and 62% were over two years unemployed. If a potential partnership opportunity is of interest to your organisation please contact Thomas Harley on thomas@getsetuk.co.uk or 07468569399. Please review our website on www.getsetuk.co.uk

Ok here is an item from TES highlighted by Lindsay from appreterships4 England you can read more at

The AELP analysis reveals that overall, 76 per cent of the 499,900 apprenticeship starts in 2014-15 were delivered by training providers. Some 40 per cent of the apprenticeship starts in colleges in this period were actually subcontracted to training providers, according to the research.

Back in November, skills minister Nick Boles told the Association of Colleges’ annual conference that training providers delivered about 60 per cent of apprenticeships, and called on colleges to stop “letting these guys nick your lunch“. He also set colleges a target of increasing the proportion of apprenticeships that they delivered to two-thirds of the total number by 2019-20. But the new research by the AELP, based on data obtained from the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) through a request under the Freedom of Information Act, suggests that the true figure is even higher.

Driving the apprenticeship agenda

AELP chief executive Mark Dawe said: “The new data should leave no one in doubt that it is independent training providers who have been driving the apprenticeship agenda. These are the providers who have had the relationships with employers and have been responsive to employers’ needs and the programme’s development.

“Therefore, if the government wants the apprenticeship reforms to work, the key constituency around the table needs to be the ITPs [independent training providers]. Of course, the debate must involve employers, colleges and universities, but if you want to understand how to make an apprenticeship programme work and how to respond to employers’ and learners’ needs, then it is the providers with 79 per cent good or better Ofsted grades and really high employer and learner satisfaction ratings that government and employers should be working with.”

Subcontracting is a ‘complex issue’

Ahead of the levy starting in April 2017, the AELP has called on ministers to ensure that the funding allocation system better rewards the providers that can directly deliver apprenticeship starts for both levy payers and the smaller levy-exempt businesses, rather than through subcontracting arrangements.

“Subcontracting is a complex issue because many partnerships exist for good reasons, such as meeting a need for specialist training, and they serve the employer customer well,” Mr Dawe added. “However, the sheer growth of it over the last 10 years has also happened for reasons that are harder to justify. We know ministers are concerned and we think they know what needs to be done. The new levy system will still require funding allocations within a finite programme budget and it is important that much more of those allocations go to providers who can directly deliver apprenticeships.”

Work Experience Week is coming…

And it’s going to be bigger and better than ever. Fair Train is looking for partner organisations to support the national campaign, including its launch at the #WEW2016 national conference in October.

At the University of Kent, the Centre for Professional Practice offers the MSc degree which is part time and suitable for adult learner. Professional Practice PCert/MA/MSc The Professional Practice programme a work related trans-disciplinary postgraduate programme aimed at professional participants wishing to develop and enhance their current working practice. This programme is suitable for those from the public, private, health and third sectors. The Professional Practice programmes include: • Professional Practice PCert/PDip/MA/MSc • Professional Practice (Teaching and Learning) MSc • Professional Practice PCert * their website has further details of the courses available: https://www.kent.ac.uk/cpp/programmes/pg-progs.html

Also lots of questions about the Asian Apprentices Awards this week

So these are the categories

Finance, Legal and Professional Services Employer of the year

Finance, Legal and Professional Services Apprentices of the year

Health, Medical and Social Care Employer of the year

Health, Medical and Social Care Apprentices of the year

Retail, Hospitality and Tourism Employer of the year

Retail, Hospitality and Tourism Apprentice of the year

Charity, Voluntary Organisations and Public Services Employer of the year

Charity, Voluntary Organisations and Public Services Apprentice of the year

The government will make funding available from the restructuring facility to reimburse those colleges that face a VAT charge due to a change of ownership of a premise, which was previously zero-rated.

This will be available where the premise will continue to be used for educational purposes following a merger or a successful application to become an academy, following the area review process.

Area Review guidance and becoming an academy guidance will be updated shortly. This will give further details on the terms and conditions and how further education colleges and sixth form colleges can reclaim VAT.

Further information will be available once the guidance is updated. For any VAT queries, please contact HM Revenues and Customs.

European Social Fund: New Logos

In April 2015, we told you the European Social Fund (ESF) Managing Authority for England had published new logos and publicity requirements for the 2014 to 2020 ESF programme. You must use these on your 2015 to 2016 enrolment forms and learner paperwork.

If you have a contract with us to deliver training funded from our apprenticeships or Adult Education Budget for the 2016 to 2017 academic year, you must keep to the Common Funding Rules (page 15). You must use the new logo on your enrolment forms and learner paperwork.

Government confirms £80 million for National Colleges to deliver the workforce of tomorrow

High-level, specialist skills were given a boost today (9 May 2016) as the government announced details of nearly £80 million in funding to support the creation of 5 new National Colleges.

The centres of high-tech training will ensure the UK has skilled people in industries crucial to economic growth – high speed rail, nuclear, onshore oil and gas, digital skills and the creative industries.

The 5 National Colleges are as follows:

National College for High Speed Rail (hubs located in Birmingham and Doncaster)

National College for Nuclear (hubs located Somerset and Cumbria)

National College for Onshore Oil and Gas (hub located in Blackpool)

National College for Digital Skills (hub located in London; Tottenham Hale and Whitechapel)

National College for the Creative and Cultural Industries (hub located in Purfleet, Essex)

The Colleges, which were confirmed in the Spending Review, have had to pass a detailed examination of their business plans and capital proposals to receive government funding which will help with the construction of new buildings and the purchase of equipment. Local authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP), industry bodies and businesses are also contributing towards the Colleges.

Development of the Colleges is firmly underway. The National College for High Speed Rail held ground breaking ceremonies at its Doncaster and Birmingham sites earlier today.

The first Colleges will open in September 2016 with the network fully operational by September 2017.

The National Colleges will focus on delivering high-level technical skills at levels 4 to 6.

The National College for Digital Skills and the National College for the Creative and Cultural Industries will open in September 2016. The National College for High Speed Rail, the National College for Onshore Oil and Gas and the National College for Nuclear will open in September 2017.

The National College for High Speed Rail will receive £40 million from BIS for the construction of new buildings and equipment. Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and Sheffield Combined Authority and the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP are providing £6 million each and industry is donating approximately £5 million in equipment.

The National College for Nuclear will receive £15 million from BIS for the construction of new buildings and equipment. The South West LEP is providing £3 million and Bridgwater College is providing £4.5 million.

The National College for Digital Skills will receive £13.4 million from BIS for refurbishment and equipment. The Greater London Authority (GLA) and the London Enterprise Panel is providing £18.2 million.

The National College for the Creative and Cultural Industries will receive £5.5 million from BIS for the construction of new buildings. £500,000 will be provided by Creative and Cultural Skills and industry is donating approximately £1 million in equipment.

The National College for Onshore Oil and Gas will receive £5.6 million from BIS for equipment, with equipment donations from industry.